LibDem Blogs - Archived!

The Sunday Torygraph and its counterparts in the Commons are getting their knickers in a twist over reports that, as it’s headline says: Government to tax the view from your house Older readers may recall that there was a time when the Telegraph was regarded as a “serious” newspaper. This story is face-slappingly ridiculous on two [...]

Another topical film recommendation, this time from France: La Haine (hatred) made in 1995 about disaffected youths and riots in a French 'suburb'. Very powerful and disturbing. DVD details here. Oh and a quick reference for different points of view on the 'events' (shades of 1968) on this discussion on the European Tribune blog entitled 'My aunt's building burned yesterday'

With thanks to Nick Barlow. It is a spoof but it is a very effective one: Mr Blair said that the police had advised him that elections would be dangerous. "They would divert attention from the war on terror", he said. "If the public chose a new government, that would be a victory for terrorism. We must not take that chance. Holding elections would be contrary to the strong advice given to us by our security services and our police, and I am simply not prepared to do it." Of course when Labour seek to promote their ...

Tony Blair is back in "man of the people" mode. A few weeks ago he turned up to meet a crowd auditioning for The X Factor. On Saturday morning he was on the Football Focus sofa. Writing in the Observer, Euan Ferguson says: We learnt that Blair is, undoubtedly, a fan of the programme. Ten past 12, every Saturday he can, he's watching Football Focus, and we know this because on a number of topics - ticket prices, the FA/Premiership fallouts - he referred back, with mention of "as you guys were saying last week", "that discussion you guys ...

The latest one can now be found in the usual place.

Among the most popular liberal gifts in the Treat Store is the Jo Grimond hoodie. It makes for perfect slouching wear, as well as being deeply inspiring. Sadly, you're too late for Eid-Al-Fitr and Diwali but it would make a delightful Christmas or Hannukkah gift. The David Owen nightgown has now been withdrawn from sale for safety reasons.

It appears that Labour is not sure what to do about terrorism and have posted a questionnaire on their website. The most worrying thing about this questionnaire is how vague the questions are. This suggests just the opposite that Labour knows exactly what they are doing and are ready to interpret the answers accordingly. Here are the questions and a possible interpretation in italics. Do you

Thanks for all the feedback about my earlier blog entry on Airsoft. I’m following up the various points people made (and don’t worry, I’m not wanting all the guns to be painted pink!) – and will cover this further in my blog in a few days time.

At the end of last week, Charles Clarke urged all MPs to consult with their constituents over the Government's plans to introduce detention without trial for up to 90 days. Background - the Government knows it won't get these plans through Parliament and is looking for a compromise. The request to MPs to consult their constituents sounds suspiciously to me like a ploy to set us up for Labour to

Throwing eggs and flour at Hallowe'en is an unpleasant recent development. Sometimes it's the 'trick' that is played if someone doesn't want to give sweets in response to 'trick or treat'. So what on earth did Asda think they were doing when they started selling 'Hallowe'en eggs'? Last year they banned the sale of eggs to under 16s, but this year they encouraged them by packaging eggs with a Hallowe'en theme. I heard a spokesman for Asda on the radio last weekend, lamely trying to explain that he expected parents to buy them as a fun ...

One interesting aspect of Division 74 was that Hansard's list of names and the tellers' count differed by 2 votes on the ayes. When MPs vote they first walk into rooms around the North (Aye) and South (No) of the chamber of the House of Commons. Then they walk out of those rooms. As they walk through the doors out of the rooms (lobbys) they are counted by "tellers". There are two tellers on

Mass poultry cull in northern China

The Guantanamo Bay Gazette is a marvellous organ, which I am shamed to have omitted from the links bar on this website. It includes all the latest goings on at GITMO, as well as more light-hearted stories, such as the results of the 'Pumpkin Dash 5k Run'. Interestingly the Guantanamo Lyceum is currently showing Wallace and Gromit. Aaah! I suppose in GITMO, anything not in orange would be considered 'the wrong trousers'. You've got to laugh. http://www.nsgtmo.navy.mil/htmpgs/gazetteonline.htm

Simon Jenkins in this morning's Sunday Times outlines the reasons why Tony Blair will stay Prime Minister until the very last minute: For a healthy prime minister to resign early in a parliament with no pressing engagement in the offing would be astonishing. Blair has not only announced his determination to stay but has set out the business that remains to be completed. To leave it unfinished on his desk would be more than a U-turn, it would be an admission of failure, a humiliation. The flurry of new Blair biographies in the bookshops this Christmas (the best from ...

Least I now know why last Monday night police cars were racing round the block, coming from all sides and people were shouting. A report in the local paper Vigilantes go after teen gang In all the confusion and kids "running riot", couldn't even get across the road to get in my gate.

Oh yes piracy is alive and even killing today. And the solutions are not obvious. A good overview of the situation (IMHO) is in the new book by William Langewiesche "The Outlaw Sea: Chaos and Crime on the World's Oceans”. (Published in the USA with subtitle " A World of Freedom, Chaos and Crime"). Chunks of this will be familiar from Langewiesche's articles in the Atlantic Monthly on this theme but there is some new material. Despite the BBC indexing this as an 'African' story it is not just a localised problem near a failed state. There are ...